Mutuma EG; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).

Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. C10122.

Youth vision Botswan, Gaborone, Botswana

Issue: Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia introduced a youth condom sale in 2000 with a brand name SuccessThe product was a youth initiative with all the branding packaging and marketing done by the youth. A number of strategies where put in place to promote the condoms to the youth. The challenge was to meet the bar and nightclub patrons who included the drunkards and sexual workers. Description: A condom youth merchandising team was introduced and trained to sale condoms through a raffle promotion in bars and nightclub to the most vulnerable groups the sexual workers and the drunken patrons. Labeled condoms with numbers was sold and in intervals the disco jockeys and the youth merchandisers could draw the raffle with the selected numbers wining success T-shirts, key rings and condom hampers. Lesson learnt: In 2002 condom sales increased by a four-fold than the year 2000 sales when the condoms where introduced. The raffle became very popular and it was conducted almost at every function ranging from beauty pageants to musical concerts. Surprisingly condoms where sold and few people collected their prizes, reasons being that people where shy to buy condoms for use from the counter and the raffle made it easy for them. A relationship between sexual workers was created and facilitated for referrals to reproductive centers for counseling, STIs screening and testing. Success became the brand name of all the nightspots and entertainment activities in the country. Recommendation: A lot of young people liked the idea because most of their sexual activities is not planned and the merchandisers provided easy access to condoms. Most of them did not like to buy condoms from the chemist, shops bars or get free ones from the clinics because these places where manned by adults. Innovations such as the youth condom merchandising and social marketing should by encouraged and supported to increase condom use among the youth.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Advertising as Topic
• Behavior
• Condoms
• Demography
• Humans
• Male
• Research
• Sexual Behavior
• Zambia

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0032822

UI: 102277036

From Meeting Abstracts